


Nurseydex Cinderella AU

by Daisygirl35



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Cinderella AU, I suck at titles, M/M, Some depictions of abuse, it's not really that intense, not any more intense than the abuse in any other depiction of cinderella, sorry I couldn't come up with a better title, the stepbrothers are totally laxbros lol
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-06
Updated: 2017-09-02
Packaged: 2018-12-11 19:08:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11720661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daisygirl35/pseuds/Daisygirl35
Summary: After the death of his parents, Will thought that his life would consist of nothing more than acting as a slave for his stepfather and stepbrothers. Little did he know that one night would change his life forever.





	1. prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I've been obsessed with the idea of a nurseydex cinderella AU since like the beginning of time, so here it is! This chapter is pretty short because it's just a prologue.

Once upon a time in a far away kingdom, there lived a young boy and his parents. They happily lived together in a lovely farmhouse on the edge of the kingdom. Every morning, the boy and his mother would milk the cows, feed the chickens, and tend to their garden while his father prepared breakfast. Once they were finished, all three of them would sit down to breakfast. After breakfast, the boy and his father would sit down for lessons.

  
It was these times that the boy loved the most. He adored his father and treasured everything he taught him. He was especially fond of the days they discussed geometry and mathematics. It wasn’t that he disliked reading, he just grew frustrated when he could not comprehend what the author was trying to say.

  
“My dear Will,” his father would coo after his frustration grew into an angry outburst. “You are smarter than you believe, my child. It is alright if you do not understand right away, for you will grow to. That is what it means to learn.” After calming down from these fits, Will would discover that his father was correct. If he could just control his temper, he was capable of solving any problem he came into contact with.  
Will lived a happy life. Unfortunately, it all came to an end when his father grew gravely ill. It began with a small cough. Soon Will’s father grew too weak to cook food, and eventually he was bedridden. Will’s mother had called for a doctor, but the medicine he had left them with proved to be ineffective. The family knew Will’s father was at death’s door.

  
The night Will’s father passed was a sticky summer night. Will and his mother sat by his bedside and held his hands, both not quite ready to let go.

  
“My son,” Will’s father coughed out.

“Yes father?” Will said, tears streaming down his face.

“Do not forget what I’ve taught you my sweet boy.”

“I won’t forget father, I swear it!”

“Tell me what you will not forget,” he said, his voice growing weaker with every word. "Tell me so I know I've taught you well."

“I cannot let my anger get a hold of me. In order to grow, I must be patient and kind,” Will said, holding back his sobs. Will’s father closed his eyes and smiled.

“I am so proud of you. My beautiful son.” And with that, Will’s father drifted away.

Will was absolutely heartbroken by his father’s death. He began to grow more and more introverted. He and his mother no longer joked with each other when doing the chores. Instead they remained quiet, both two grief-stricken to try and seem otherwise.

Will’s mother was remarried by the spring. The man she chose was tall and angular. He never said as much aloud, but Will believed his features seemed very bird-like. His nose was turned down and sharp, much like the beak of a hawk. His hair was long and black as pitch. He quickly learned that his new stepfather was very strict and stern. Any time Will tried to build a connection with stepfather, he was met with coldness. All of the love in his stepfather’s heart seemed to be for his twin sons. There seemed to be none left for Will. He could not understand why his mother had married a man such the opposite of his father. A house that was once filled with warmth and love and laughter now only knew coldness.

Although he felt confused and betrayed by his mother, Will held his tongue, remembering what his father had taught him. Even if he didn’t understand what was going on, he had to trust that one day he would. Besides, even though his father was gone he still had his mother and his fathers books. He was still able to continue to build off of what his father had taught him. He spent every day trying to make his father proud.

Unfortunately, Will’s understanding of the world shrunk even further that following winter. While his mother was getting ready to go into town, she lost control of her horse and was trampled to death. Even when he brought her mangled body inside, Will's stepfather didn't show a hint of emotion. Will never even got to say goodbye. Instead of falling into anguish like when his father passed, Will's grief took a different form. He grew quiet. At the age of ten, Will was completely alone in the world.

With his mother gone, there was no one to protect Will from the wrath of his stepfather and stepbrothers. The day after his mother was buried, Will was forced to move into the attic so his stepbrothers could have separate rooms. The chores his entire family once shared fell solely on his shoulders. Any form of mistake or inefficiency was met with ridicule and abuse. Sometimes Will suffered only because his new family found it amusing. He contemplated running away on more than one occasion, but he always came to the same conclusion. Even though his living situation was less than ideal, at least he had a roof over his head and food to eat. He had no money, so if he were to run there was no guarantee that he would survive.

Instead, every night he would gaze out his window in the attic. He would look over the trees at the town in the distance. His mind would wander to a fantasy world where he no longer had to live with his stepfather. Instead of being a slave, he would live in town. Some nights he owned a little bakery. Other nights he was just a farmhand. One nights where he really needed to raise his spirits, he would look onto the king’s castle and dream that he was the king himself. No one would be able to tell him what to do or speak to him in a derogatory manner. Will dreamed like this for seven years.  
Little did he know, at age seventeen his life was about to change forever.


	2. Laundry flow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has a lot of dialogue, which I'm not very good at. Sorry if it sounds awkward. I'm kind of using this fic in order to get better at dialogue. If you have any tips, please don't hesitate to tell me! Anyway, thanks for reading!

Will was thrusted into consciousness by the high, sharp sound of the bell, just like every morning. He groaned. Every morning his step brothers would ring this bell to signal to Will that they wanted breakfast. The bell was his stepfather’s idea, much to his dismay. Will rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, threw on a clean shirt, and made his way down the winding staircase from the attic to the kitchen.

He placed some wood in the stove, making a mental note to chop some more later. At this point, making breakfast for his family had become a mindless task. First the eggs. Then the leftover produce from the garden. In the winter, the produce was replaced by meat. Next came the bread and jam. Finally came a cup of piping hot tea. Will arranged the meal on three plates, one for each step brother and one for his stepfather, placed the plates and cups on a carrying tray, and made his way up the stairs to the second floor where the rest of his family lived.

Luckily for Will, his step brothers lived in rooms directly across the hall from each other so he did not have to travel far. He knocked on Chadwick’s door first. The door burst open almost immediately. Chadwick stood in the doorway, his face as sour looking as ever.

According to societal norms, Chadwick should have been attractive. His blonde hair was shiny and well trimmed. Will was tall, but he paled in comparison to Chadwick’s towering frame. His skin had no blemishes, and his muscles were very well developed. His entire body could be described as broad or masculine from his hands to his shoulders to his nose, but all of his features in combination resulted in a rather unsettling final product. The nail in the coffin was his permanent sneer.

“You are late,” Chadwick spat.

“My apologies Chadwick,” Will said. It was only by the grace of God that he was able to hold his tongue. If he had his way, Will would tell Chadwick exactly where he could shove his breakfast.

“Don’t let it happen again, slave!”

“Of course not step brother.” Chadwick took the plate and teacup before slamming the door in Will’s face. He sighed. How did this become his life? Will turned around and knocked on his other step brother’s door.

The door opened much less forcefully. His other step brother, Connor, was waiting inside.

Connor always puzzled Will. He could act exactly like his brother or his father if he wanted to, but he didn’t. He was not overly-kind, yet he was not cruel either. He was somewhere in between. There were even moments when he showed Will compassion. He would bring his own dishes to the kitchen instead of ordering Will to come fetch them. Sometimes he’d even wash them himself. On holidays, Connor sometimes sat with Will while his father and brother were busy lounging and enjoying themselves, drunk off of whatever wine his father had on hand. They would split Conner’s helping of dessert without saying a word, both not wanting to address the current situation. To Will, Connor was an enigma.

Connor’s hair always flopped in front of his eyes when he first awoke. His eyes were still glazed over from exhaustion. Unlike Chadwick, Connor seemed human. He looked at Will, almost surprised, then down at the plate of food.

“You don’t have to do this you know,” he murmured. “I can get my own food.” Will sighed. Lately, Connor had tried to ease his burden on Will, but Will knew what would happen if he did not wait on his step brother hand and foot. He would have to face the wrath of his stepfather.

“You know why I have to,” he stated.

“I know. I just…” Connor couldn’t find the words he wanted to say. He sighed before taking the plate. “Thanks,” he muttered before closing the door.

Will made his way through several sets of hallways before arriving at his stepfather’s door. It still pained him to think that his parents used to reside in this room before his life fell apart. He took a deep breath and knocked twice.

“Enter,” his step father said, his voice deep and resounding.

Will turned the knob with one hand and let himself in. A room that had been filled with light and life while his parents were alive was now dreary and dull. The artwork that had once hung on the walls was now gone. The once baby blue walls were painted over a dark maroon. The dark curtains were always drawn, preventing any sort of sunlight from creeping in. There was never a fire in the fireplace, so the room tended to be cold even during the summer months. At the end of the room was a bed large enough for an entire family to fit into. The bedding matched the drabness of the bedroom, and the semi-sheer curtains surrounding it were drawn. Will could just make out his stepfather's figure through the curtains. He tentatively walked over towards the bed.

“Good morning stepfather,” Will said.

“You know I am not fond of idle chatter, Will. Just leave the food on my bedside table,” his step father stated sternly.

“Yes stepfather,” Will said. He briskly walked over to the table and set down the tray before making his way towards the door.

“Wait,” his stepfather ordered.

“Yes stepfather?”

“I want you to do the laundry today. I have a meeting in town later this week, and I want to wear my blue shirt.”

“Yes stepfather,” Will said. He scurried over to his stepfather’s closet, which was almost larger than the attic, and took the sack filled with dirty clothes before making his way back to the door. “Will that be all?”

“Yes, go.”

After the door had shut behind him, Will ran his fingers through his hair, trying to remain calm. It was Thursday, and Will’s chore list was lightest on Thursdays. If he was efficient, he could get all of his chores done before lunch, leaving his afternoons completely free. On these days, Will would take some of his father’s old books and go study. If he was running late, he would just do it in his room, but if he was lucky, Will would be able to sneak away to somewhere more peaceful. If he was _really_ lucky, he could sneak into town. Unfortunately, laundry was one of Will’s most time consuming chores. Laundry day was usually Saturday, and it tended to take up most of the day due to the sheer amount of clothing his family went through.

It was times like these that Will just wanted to put his fist through a wall, or more preferably his stepfather’s face. He took a deep breath in, held it for a moment, and let it out in one heavy sigh. _Remember what Father told you_ , Will thought to himself. He closed his eyes, picturing his father sitting at the table in their library. His hair, a bright orange much like Will’s, was messy. His round glasses were a bit bent. His face was firm, but he had an aura of kindness around him. A bit of blue ink was smudged on his cheek. His appearance screamed imperfection, but Will still held him in the highest merit.

“Remember, Will,” he said. “You mustn't let your temper get the best of you. Nothing has ever been solved in anger. Always be patient, and always be kind.”

Will’s father had been dead for so long that Will wasn’t quite sure whether this was an actual memory or a fantasy he had conjured up in his mind. Either way, it helped him to calm down even when he was at his most frustrated. He let out a long breath before making his way to his stepbrothers’ rooms to collect their laundry.

Once he had all three bags of laundry, Will made his way back to the attic to fetch the washboard and the soap. After also collecting his laundry, he dumped all of the clothes into a large basket before making his way out of the house. He exited the large, iron gates at the front of the property and trudged down the hill his house sat on.

***

Once he reached his favorite laundry spot, a section of the river that cut through a patch of meadow with a lone willow tree, Will sat down and got to work. It took a lot of willpower for him to not picture his stepfather’s face getting scrubbed against the washboard instead of his blue dress shirt. _Anger filled thoughts will only lead to anger induced actions_ , he thought to himself. Instead, he went over his most recent studies in his head. Numbers always had a calming effect on Will, so much so that he didn’t notice the stranger strolling by the river until he tumbled in, the large splash drenching him.

He immediately stood up, shocked by the coolness of the water. Will looked over to the source of the splash and immediately tried to hide his grin. In the water was a boy who seemed to be Will’s age, and frankly, Will thought he was beautiful. His dark skin glowed in the spring sunlight, and his eyes, a dark, mossy green, twinkled like the constellations. A puzzled look overtook his face, as if he was surprised to be in his current situation. Will bit his lip, failing to suppress his smile. He put the washboard down and stepped into the river towards the stranger. He eyed the stranger and tilted his head as if he were confused.

“You’ve got mud on your cheek,” Will said. The stranger didn’t move, instead looking at Will with the same confused look. Will sighed and stuck out his hand. The stranger still didn’t move. “You know, usually when someone offers to help you up, you’re supposed to take it.”

“Sorry! It’s just…” the stranger trailed off before shaking his head. “Sorry.” He took Will’s hand and allowed himself to be hoisted up. “Thank you,” he said as he wiped his cheek.

“No problem,” Will replied. He turned around and walked back towards his laundry. After scrubbing a pair of Chadwick’s pants for a few minutes, he looked back up. The stranger was still staring at him. Will could feel his face heating up. “What?” he asked. This seemed to shock the boy back into reality.

“Sorry,” he said, finally stepping out of the river and onto the bed.

Will chuckled. “Is that the only word in your vocabulary?”

“What? Oh.” This time it was the stranger’s turn to blush, though his complexion did not reveal much redness. “I can assure you, my vocabulary is actually quite extensive,” he said, looking Will directly in the eye.

Will snorted before going back to his chore, not looking up as he heard the boy walk towards him.

“So,” the boy said. Will continued to focus on the laundry. “Do you come here often?”

Will chuckled without looking up. “That phrase is a bit cliche, is it not?”

“I suppose it is.” A soft smile crept onto the stranger’s lips before he sat on one of the large rocks next to Will.

The two sat in silence until Will said, “Is there a reason you’re still here?”

“Just enjoying the view.”

“Do you not have somewhere to be?”

“Nope.”

Will sighed.

“Well, if you don’t mind,” he said, gesturing to the article of clothing in his hands.

“I don’t mind,” the stranger retorted.

“Look. I get that this is a beautiful spot. That’s why I’m here, but I’ve had a really shitty day, so if you would please just leave me alone,” Will said through his teeth, clearly exasperated.

“Why? I’m not bothering you.”

“You’re distracting me, interrupting my laundry flow.”

The stranger barked out a laugh. “Laundry flow?”

“Shut up. It’s the best I could come up with. I’m not a words kind of guy.” Will's cheeks were going to be permanently tinted red after this encounter.

“Really?” the stranger asked. “Can you read?”   
“Of course I can read!” Will snapped. He took a deep breath in order to calm himself down. “I prefer numbers.”

“Interesting,” the stranger said. “Numbers are not my strong suit.”

“Apparently neither are people skills,” Will smirked. He was not often presented with the opportunity to use sarcasm. If he used it at home, he would be beaten. Will was determined to make most of the situation while he had the chance.

“Ha ha. Very funny,”the stranger muttered. “So, laundry flow?” he said, not even trying to hide his grin.

Will hung his head in embarrassment. “Can we please just forget I said that?”

“Nope. Too bad.”

Will groaned. “Just…” he paused, thinking before he spoke. “Laundry takes all day, you know? And if I can ignore distractions and just focus on this, it goes by faster, which means I can have part of the day to myself.”

“So you’re saying I’m a distraction,” the stranger said.

“Yes! You are distracting me, so if I’m late, it’s your fault.”

The stranger cocked his head to look at Will’s basket.

“That sure is a lot of clothes for just one guy.”

“That’s because it isn’t just for me. Most of this belongs to my stepfather and step brothers.”

“And you’re doing all of this by yourself?” he questioned.

Will froze. This boy may not have been Will’s first choice for company, but he rarely had the opportunity to share a true conversation with someone. He wasn’t used to being looked at like a human being and not a slave.

“We, um, we each have chores. You know, dishes, gardening, sweeping. This one is mine,” Will lied.

“Oh.” The stranger looked out onto the river as Will continued to scrub. “Do you want help?” he asked.

“What?” Will froze. Ever since he became his family’s resident slave boy, Will had grown used to the idea of working alone. Sure, Connor had offered a few times to pull his own weight, but no one had ever offered to help him. The stranger’s offer threw him off guard.

“Help. I figure four hands will be faster than two, and since I’ve been _such_ a distraction, this way I can repay my debt.”

“Debt? You don’t owe me anything. I just helped you up. It wasn’t a big deal,” Will said, his cheeks burning again.

“Still. I would like to help you. You’ve been pleasant company, um…” the stranger trailed off. “Do you have a name? I mean of course you have a name, you’re a person and people have names. It’s just, I’d like to stop referring to you in my head as ‘sarcastic red-haired mystery boy,’” the stranger rambled while picking at his nails.

Will pondered for a moment. He had no idea who this person was. For all he knew, he could have been the son of one of his stepfather’s colleagues. After all, the kingdom was relatively small. All residents who weren’t peasants seemed to at the very least know of each other. He certainly was not dressed like a peasant. His clothes were not fancy by any means, but they were missing that grubby, worn-in feeling the clothes of most peasants had. Even just by glancing at his skin, Will could tell that this boy did not perform tasks that required hard labor often. His skin appeared to be too soft and delicate. His hands were smooth, missing the callosus that came with working with your hands. If he told this guy his name and he happened to know his stepfather, things could go south for Will very quickly. If his stepfather learned that he allowed himself to become distracted during his chores, he would not hold back his fury. Still, it felt rude to remain anonymous. Suddenly, an idea popped into Will's head.

“Dex,” Will said. “You can call me Dex.”

“Dex,” the stranger said, a warm smile forming on his lips. 

“What about you? I’d like to stop calling you ‘clumsy stranger’ in my head,” Will said.

“Derek. I’m Derek.”

“Derek,” Will said. Great. Even his name was beautiful. “Well, I’m not going to say no to extra help, but I don’t have an extra washboard, so you’re going to have to use the rocks.”

Derek slid off his rock and took some of the clothes from Will’s basket. The two worked in a comfortable silence. Will snuck glances at Derek when he was sure he wasn’t looking, which was a mistake. Derek’s brow was furrowed revealing his concentration towards this simple task. Will felt his stomach flip, but he chose to ignore it.

He had to admit, with Derek helping him, laundry went by much faster than usual. When all of the clothes were washed and returned to the basket, Will and Derek stood up. The silence that was once comfortable now seemed awkward.

“So,” Derek said.   
“So.”

“Um. I’m not great at this,” Derek said as he ducked his head down. He ran his fingers through his hair. “It’s probably around noon now, so if you want we could like, I don’t know. I mean if you want we could like, go get something to eat? I know this bakery in town that has the greatest blueberry muffins.”

_Oh_ , Will thought. It had been so long since someone had shown interest in being around him for more than a moment. This boy, this _Derek_ had shown him more compassion during one morning than his stepfather had shown him _ever_. He so desperately wanted to go with Derek. He wanted to forget the laundry, his chores, his responsibilities and just run. He wanted to be free even if just for an afternoon, yet he knew he could not.

“Look, I’m really sorry. I want to, I really do, I just have other chores to do you know? I have to hang the clothes up to dry. If I don’t get back home, my stepfather will have my hide.”

Will didn’t miss the disappointment that clouded Derek’s face.

“No, it’s fine. I understand.”

“Really, I wish I could. I’ve really enjoyed your company,” Will continued.

Derek looked up, making direct eye contact with Will.   
“Will I be able to see you again?” he asked, his voice soft and tender.

Will could not believe what was happening to him. The only people who had ever valued his company were his parents. He wanted nothing more desperately than he wanted to pursue a friendship with Derek. The logical portion of his brain screamed that he shouldn’t. His stepfather actively tried to keep him isolated, only letting Will into town when there were errands to run. If he pursued this friendship, he would be actively defying his stepfather, something he rarely did, but with one look at Derek, Will suddenly did not care about the repercussions of his actions. He wanted this.

“I can’t get away from home very often-”

“No it’s fine. I get it. It was stupid to ask,” Derek interrupted, shaking his head with disappointed.

“Let me finish. I can’t get away very often, but I do laundry here every Saturday. This week is different, but if you happened to be here next Saturday, you might find me.”

Derek gave him a soft smile. “Next saturday then,” he said. “I’m looking forward to it.”

And with that, Will turned and made his way back home.

***

When Will was in bed that night, he did not dream of a different life in town. He didn’t even dream of his parents. Instead, he dreamed of sparkling green eyes and soft smiles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> School starts in a few weeks so I won't be able to update as often or as regularly. I'm also working on another fic while working on this one. The other one is a music AU and I know it's not as popular as this one, but I still love the idea and want to finish it. As always kudos and comments are always appreciated! I'm planning to write from Nursey's perspective in the next chapter, so get excited!


	3. Scaling walls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! These first few weeks of school have been hectic. I'm going to try and post every week/every other week depending on my work schedule. This one is a bit shorter than the other two chapters and gives us some insight on some other characters besides Dex. Enjoy!

When the glow of dusk had given way to the pitch of night, Connor slipped out of bed. He grabbed his hooded cloak off of its hook and pulled it on, using the hood to hide his face. He snuck out of the house with the discreteness of a shadow and set forth on the road into town. It would take far less time if he rode one of the horses, but the horse would just serve as an extra variable that could blow his cover. Nearly everyone in town knew of his father. They had all seen him ride through town at one point or another. Connor was not ready to take that risk. 

It took about twenty minutes for Connor to reach the outskirts of town on foot. When he arrived, he tugged his hood further over his face and kept his head down. If  his father was aware of these nightly outings, Connor knew he would be punished to the fullest extent. 

He navigated his way through the twisting roads, ignoring the cries of drunks, beggars, and the occasional prostitute. Only one thing was on his mind.

When Connor arrived at the bakery, he took a hard left and snuck around to the back. It was there he was met with a wall overtaken with vines and ivy. He looked around the alleyway, making sure no one was around. Then, like he had done many times before, Conner gripped onto the vines and scaled up the wall until he reached the window just below the roof. It was open, like he knew it would be. He hoisted himself inside, landing smoothly on his feet. 

“I was beginning to wonder if you’d show,” said a voice hidden by the shadows of the room. Connor smiled. 

“Have I ever let you down before?” 

“Actually yes,” the voice said. From the shadows, a boy emerged, striding over to Connor. 

When they finally stood face to face, Connor cupped the boy’s cheek, looking deep into his eyes. 

“Tony,” he murmured before placing a sound kiss upon his lips. Tony sighed into the kiss before Connor pulled away. “You know I come when I can.” 

Tony smiled before saying, “I know, it is just too easy to give you a hard time.” He wrapped his arms around Connor’s neck as moved in for another kiss. 

Connor tilted his head, quickly deepening the kiss. The two of them stood like this for a while, wrapped up in each other’s company. The only thing on their minds was each other. Soon Connor was backing Tony up towards the bed in the corner, only breaking from the kiss to guide him down. The two continued to kiss, Connor on top of Tony, until Tony said clearly, “Wait.” Connor immediately pulled away and sat on the edge of the bed, opposite of Tony. 

Tony sat up and stared at his hands folded in his lap. “I can’t do this. Not again. It’s not that I don’t want to, I really do, but…” He trailed off and looked up. Through the moonlight, Connor could see his eyes shining with tears. He was suddenly filled with concern from the look on Tony’s face and scooted forward until their foreheads were touching.

“Hey, hey, hey,” he murmured. “It’s okay. We don’t have to do anything. It just brings me joy to be in your presence. As long as I get to see your face, I’m happy.” 

Tony chuckled, brushing the tears from his eyes. “You’re such a sap.” 

“Well, one of us has to be,” he said, giving him a small smile.  

“It’s just,” he paused. “I cannot stand being intimate with you and then having to sleep alone. I can’t do it.” 

“Then I’ll stay here and leave in the morning,” Connor decided. 

“You know you can’t. You’re father-”

“Went to bed tonight filled with wine. He will sleep late into the afternoon. I promise I’ll be fine.” He brushed his lips against Tony’s before quickly pulling back. “I mean only if you want to! We never have to do anything you aren’t comfortable with.” 

A grin enveloped Tony’s face before he pulled Connor down to meet him. “I am always comfortable as long as I am with you.” 

*** 

Derek stood in his chamber facing his floor length mirror. The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon. Instead of his usual attire, robes and suits in various shades of navy and purple, he was dressed in servant’s clothes. He ran his fingers through his hair, trying to get it to fall in just the right way.  

“Derek, you cannot go out again. This is the third week in a row! I’m running out of excuses for your absence!” Chris exclaimed. 

“Chris,” Derek said. “You are one of my only friends. I’ve known you for as long as I can remember, so please,  _ please _ , just chill.” He walked across the room to his desk and pocketed the pouch of money sitting on top of it. He turned to Chris and sighed. “Look, almost everyone who meets me wants something from me. It kind of comes with the whole ‘son of royalty’ gig. This guy…” Derek trailed off. His mind was overcome with images of amber eyes and fiery hair. His ears were filled with the laughter of a boy he had only just met. He turned to face Christ. “He treats me like a regular person, C.”

“That’s because he thinks that you are! He doesn’t even know who you are, which by the way should be alarming in itself. How can he not recognize the prince?!” 

Derek shrugged. “I don’t know, and I really don’t care. All I know is that he makes me feel warm. And normal. I’ve never felt like this before, C. I can’t just let him slip away. 

“I just don’t have a good feeling about this. Isn’t not telling him your true identity just lying by omission?”

“C, you think too much.”

“Look, you have to tell him eventually-”

“And I will,” Derek interrupted. “Just not today.” He made his way to the window and began to slip out. 

“Wait! What am I supposed to tell everyone?!” 

“Lock my door, and tell everyone that I am studying and no not wish to be disturbed.” 

“That’s what I said last week!” Chris exclaimed, but Derek was already making his way down the side of the palace. He watched as his best friend reached the garden, scaled the large cherry blossom tree that peered over the palace wall, and escaped into the dawn. 

“Nothing good can come from this,” he muttered to himself. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, comments and kudos are always appreciated. Thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> So I don't know how often I'll be updating so I apologize in advanced. Comments and kudos are always appreciated. Thanks for reading!


End file.
